Igniter for oil stoves



@UL 9s B934- A. RUTTIMAN IGNITER FOR OIL STOVES Filed Oct. 6, 1952 loop while its upper portion is only a single strand presenting but a single terminal which may be flattened to a sharp edge as already described.

To retain the insulator within the bore 18, both the insulator and the depending boss 17 may be formed with transverse registering slots 28 and 29. A locking wire 30 engaging with these slots and encircling the boss 17 as shown in Fig. 3 will prevent longitudinal movement of the insulator.

A modified means for retaining the insulator in place is shown in Fig. 4. The lower boss 17 is formed with a depending semicircular skirt 31. Secured to the skirt is a flexible locking i'inger 32 the free end of which engages with the transverse slot 28 in the insulator. The skirt 31 also serves as a shield to prevent breakage of the frangible insulator.

This spring locking finger 32 serves not only as a means for retaining the electrode in place within its support, against axial displacement, but it also holds the electrode against angular or turning movement in its socket. This is true also of the Wire holding means first described. By holding means of this character the terminal points at the spark gap will be held in their prescribed positions against displacement both vertically and angularly.

Furthermore, the holding means will tend to press the insulator or body of the electrode against one wall of the socket to take up all looseness and at the same time provide the air passage along one side of the insulator plug from the bottom to the top thereof.

A further application of the locking means shown in Fig. 3 is shown in Fig. 9. In this gure the burner base 36 has a threaded bore 37. The igniter comprises the usual insulator 38 and the retaining member 39 which is externally threaded at 40 to engage with the threads within the bore 37. The upper portion of member 39 forms a boss 41 projecting upwardly from the burner base, and the lower portion forms a boss 42 depending from the burner base. The lower boss provides a shoulder at 43 against whichA a gasket 44 Vof any suitable material may be compressed to prevent oil leakage through bore 37. If the engagement of the threads on the member 39 with the threads within the bore 37 is sufiiciently tight to prevent leakage the gasket 44 may be dispensed with.

To retain the insulator 38 within the retaining member 39, the insulator and the lower boss 42 are formed with transverse registering slots, 45 and 46 respectively, withinwhich a locking wire 47 may be confined.

It may be pointed out that the only difference between the structures shown in Figs. 3 and 9 is that in Fig. 3 the bosses 16 and 17 are formed integrally with the burner base whereas in Fig. 9 the corresponding bosses 41 and 42 are carried by the removable member 39. When the member 39 is in place, the structure produced is substantially the equivalent of that shown in Fig. 3.

It will be noted that the slot formed Within the insulator serves the additional function of india' cating the proper positioning of the insulator within the bore which receives it. The user has merely to insert the insulator until the slot in the vinsulator coincides with the slot in the boss or with theflexible iinger 32 sprung into place, to know that the insulator is properly placed to provide the correct spark gap.

The form of insulator 52 shown in Fig. 10 is particularly desirable to provide the best possible protection against shock or stray sparks. This insulator is a substantially tubular member having a conical bore 53. The end having the smaller opening is spherically rounded as at 54 and the opposite end is spherically recessed as at 55. EX- tending beyond the spherically recessed end 55 is a conical flange 56.

If contiguous insulators are angularly displaced, as insulators 49 and 50 of Fig. 10, the larger opening of the bore will permit suilicient lateral movement of the lead Wire 24 to prevent its binding at the junction. Similarly, the co-operating spherical surfaces of contiguous insulators will maintain a surface contact and cracks will not be formed at the junctions when the wire 24 is curved. The flange 56 serves to insure that foreign matter does not enter the junction between the insulators.

lThe insulator 5l shown in Fig. 2 is bored to completely enclose the lower boss 17 and a portion of the iirst insulator 52, to protect these parts.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination with an oil burning stove having a burner base and a kindler supported therein, of an igniter comprising an insulator, an electrode within the insulator, the upper end of said electrode extending beyond the insulator and close to the kindler, and to a point to provide a spark gap adjacent the kindler to ignite the oil on the kindler, and a second insulating member carried by the upper extending end of the electrode to prevent the kindler contacting with the electrode.

2. The combination with an oil burning stove having a burner base and a kindler supported therein, of an igniter comprising an insulator, a spark electrode within the insulator, the upper end of said electrode extending laterally beyond the insulator and above the kindler to provide a spark gap adjacent the kindler therein to ignite the oil on the kindler, and a second insulating member carried by the Aupper laterally extending end of the electrode where it passes above the kindler to retain the kindler and electrode in spaced relation.

3. The combination with an oil burning stove having a burner `base and a kindlersupported therein, of an igniter comprising an insulator to be carried by said base, an electrode within the insulator, said electrode having two or more wires the upper ends 'of which extend beyond the insulator close to the kindler, and to within close proximity with the burner base to provide spark gaps adjacent the kindler therein to ignite the oil on the kindler, and a second insulator carried by the upper extending ends of the electrode wires to prevent the kindler contacting with the electrode, the portions of the said ends projecting beyond the second4 insulator being separated to retain the second insulator in place.

4. The combination with an oil burning stove having a burner base and a kindler supported therein, of an igniter comprising an insulator to be carried by said base, an electrode within the insulator, said electrode beinga doubled wire, the upper ends of which extend laterally beyond the insulator and abovev the kindler to within close proximity with the burner base to provide spark gaps adjacent the kindler therein to ignite the oil on the kindler, and a second insulator carried by the upper extending ends of the double electrode Wire to prevent the kindler contacting with the electrode, the portions of the said ends projecting beyond the second insulator being divergent to retain the second insulator in place, and being tapered to facilitate their heating to a high temperature to burn oil carbon particles obstructing the spark gaps.

5. The combination in an oil burning stove of a burner base having a kindler therein, axially disposed bosses projecting from the upper and lower faces of the burner base, said bosses having axial bores, an igniter comprising an insulator provided with a spark electrode, arranged within the bo-re through the bosses, said insulator having a transverse slot near it-s outer end, a depending skirt formed on the lower boss and laterally spaced from the insulator to protect the outer' portion of the insulator, and a iiexible locking member secured to the depending skirt and extending within the slot in the insulator to retain the insulator against longitudinal motion in either direction.

6. The combination in an oil burning stove of a burner base having a kindler therein, axially disposed bosses projecting from the upper and lower faces of the burner base, said bosses having axial bores, and an igniter of uniform contour comprising an insulator and an electrode, arranged within the bore through the bosses, said electrode extending to a point to provide a spark gap adjacent the kindler to ignite the oil thereon, said insulator having a transverse slot to register with a retaining member to indicate the proper positioning of the insulator within the bore whereby the proper spark gap will be provided.

7. The combination in an oil burning stove of a burner base having a kindler therein, axially disposed bosses projecting from the upper and lower faces of the burner base, said bosses having axial bores, and an igniter comprising an insulator and an electrode, arranged within the bore through the bosses, there being a longitudinal space between the insulator and the side of the bore throughout the length of the bore to provide a passageway for supplying air along t-he insulator from the outer side of the burner base to the upper portion of the insulator whereby carbon deposits thereon will be burned off.

8. The combination in an oil burning stove of a burner base having a kindler therein, axially disposed bosses projecting from the upper and lower faces of the burner base, said bosses having axial bores, and an igniter comprising an insulator and an electrode, arranged within the bore through the bosses, said insulator having a loose t within and throughout the length of said bore, and means for holding the insulator in place against one wall of the bore to provide a passageway alongside the insulator for supplying air to the upper portion of the insulator whereby carbon deposits thereon will be burned 01T.

9. In combination, a burner base, a kindler supported therein, an igniter comprising an insulator, an electrode having its upper portion extending from said electrode and having its end deformed, and a second insulating member carried by the projecting end of the electrode to prevent the kindler contacting the electrode, said second insulating member being retained on the electrode by the deformed end portion thereof, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a burner base having an annular trough with a kindler therein, and an aperture opening into the trough, of an igniter arranged within said aperture and comprising an insulator of uniform contour and an electrode, said electrode extending laterally from the igniter to a point to provide a spark gap adjacent the kindler to ignite the oil thereon, said insulator having a transverse slot with a non-concentric base, and a retaining member carried by the base to register with the slot and thereby determine the lengthwise positioning of the insulator within the aperture, and said retaining member engaging against said non-concentric base to determine the proper angular position of the insulator about its longitudinal axis and point the laterally extending electrode in the proper radial direction.

ALFRED RUTTIMAN. 

